SEATTLE WAS OHIO FOR A WEEKEND

++ THIS PAST WEEKEND Seattle had an identity crisis and temporarily thought it was Ohio. Friday brought cold, but not cold cold, just a little below average Seattle beginning of December cold. However after Friday was when she thought it was a Midwestern state. Saturday morning was cold, upper 30's. Then around noon it started snowing. And not just Seattle snowing, which is minimal, but huge huge flakes snowing. Sideways and heavy. This lasted all day and finally sticking, leaving behind maybe a quarter inch of slushy snow. The evening temperature warmed and the snow turned into a cold rain, eventually melting the rest of the snow. Sunday morning was a brief spell of snow, quickly dispelled into an outright rain, Ohio style, but not warm. Blah blah blah.

Monday was the second highest recorded rainfall in a day in the history of recorded rainfalls for Seattle. Oh, but it warmed to 59 degrees. Snow one day. Almost 60 degrees the next day. I heart Seattle weather!

"The rain was tapering off in Seattle this evening, according to the National Weather Service. And that meant the one-day rainfall record in Seattle, last set four years ago, would probably stand. The last record was 5.02 inches at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, set Oct. 20, 2003. The weather service today said 3.46 inches of rain fell at Sea-Tac between midnight and 3 p.m. today. Even so, Seattle city officials noted that more than 5.8 billion gallons of water have fallen from the sky locally in the past 24 hours, enough to fill Green Lake six times." ++

MY STOLEN CAR UPDATE

++ SHE'S BACK! AND I've decided to name her Old Steady, which I know isn't a very feminine name and isn't particularly flattering, but that's what she is. Always there (except when I'm taking her in for maintenance) (and except when she gets a little antsy and decides to take herself for a spin.) Welcome home Old Steady, welcome home. ++

MY STOLEN CAR

++ MY DEAREST CAR. Please come home. Our relationship together is a long history, full of first experiences and ups and downs. First, let me apologize for never giving you a name. After 175,000 miles and 11 years, I feel terrible that I’ve only ever referred to you as ‘she’ or ‘her’. You must feel slighted. My sincerest apologies for more often than not neglecting you your oil change every 3500 miles or 3 months. Also, please accept my deepest apologies for never giving you a bath or a wash in well over two years. I’d throw out an excuse but there is none which is acceptable. With the lack of an oil change and lack of a bath, it’s no wonder you always felt dirty and never sexy. Words escape me. We’ve been through so much.

Remember when we first drove ‘across country’. And by ‘across country’ we really only went halfway, stopping in Denver. There and back. Twice. We were as carefree as birds. You, a young svelt car, not even 100,000 miles and me a young buck, eager to shed the young naïve view on life. The first experience of an extended road trip is something you and I can share only with each other. It was quite a time. We played in the mountains both in the summer, hiking every weekend, and in the winter, making our weekly weekend trips up to Vail and Beavercreek and Breckenridge to snowboard. We made many more trips ‘across country’, the others being actual trips across country, to San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. You were a trooper, a real trooper. I pushed on your pedal for 40 hours straight for at least two trips, you humming the entire time, asking me to stop only to refuel. We made a few marathon trips: one from Seattle down to San Diego in 23 hours, through the southwest desert, up to Denver and fast tracked home. Another, a whirlwind from San Francisco up through Portland and an afternoon stop in Seattle, and then east through Yellowstone and the Badlands and Devils Tower, stopping to get gas in Gary, Indiana. And another from San Francisco, stopping in Yosemite for our first time ever, on to the Grand Canyon, down through Texas and pit stopping in New Orleans, before trekking back to Ohio. On every trip I packed my stuff in your backside until you almost couldn’t move and you never complained. You never asked for any rubbers, but I tried to provide you with new tires as your old ones wore down.

We went through tough times as well. I dropped railroad ties on your back left side and then never took you to the body doctor to get cosmetically repaired. I ran you into a guardrail once. (I’m sorry.) Numerous random strangers penetrated your back right side, groping you for anything they could, usually only taking your voicebox. You’ll remember I always replaced it with another radio, but after the 4^th or 5^th time, I knew you couldn’t take it much more, so I did us both a favor and gave you back your original factory radio. It wasn’t that you were old, you were just getting seasoned and looked better au natural. You didn’t need anything to help push-up your volume. Steady and even-tempered were always your best traits.

I hear it’s still possible that you’ll come back. It’s what ‘they’ tell me. They even say it’s possible within a week or two, but if it’s longer than three weeks and you still haven’t come home, they’ll take your name off the milk carton and put another tick on the old bed post. I promise, I’ll give you a name you deserve. I’ll take you in for routine check-ups. After we frolic anywhere, I’ll lather you silly and tickle your tires with brushes so full and soap so bubbly, that the cars next to you and me will blush and look away.

I miss you. Please come home.

(PS. I’m sorry I got pissed that one time and permanently blinded you. We’ll have to do something about your windshield.)

PSS. You know the SUV which sleeps next to your bed? We’ll he looks like he’s been crying.) (But that may also be the rain. I’m still up in the air about it.)

PPSS. (I think I’m going to chalk it up as crying.) ++

IT'S JEFF'S DAY

++ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO my younger brother Jeff! He's a squirrelly 25 now. Primed and ready for lower car insurance rates. Twenty-five and still alive! Twenty-five without a wife! Twenty-five and ready to jive! Twenty-five and ready for life! Twenty-five and going to a dive! Twenty-five and going to to give...wait...oh, you tricked me English with your funny pronunciation rules, you tricked me. ++

NOVEMBER FAMILY AND COHORTS

++ IT'S GOING TO be a busy month at Hotel Blackburn.
Mom and Dad are coming to visit November 1-11.
Jeff is coming the week after from November 15-28.
Steve and Beth are coming to visit Seattle November 30-December 3.

Somehow I still have all of the weekly and daily events to do and luckily everyone are big boys and big girls and don't need to be constantly entertained. Not that I wouldn't enjoy constantly entertaining family and friends, but I know I can't even stand myself 24 hours a day which is why I go to sleep for 8 hours a day, so I can get away and have a little break from myself. Ha. It should be an active month. I've twenty hours left to clean in preparation...++

NOTES FROM THE CENTERLINE

++ NOBODY LIKES A REFEREE. There is one call that a referee can make in any sport to make everyone happy. No matter what is called, someone is going to complain and whoever gets the foul called on them is going to second guess you, pretty much without fail. It takes a much more patience and focus than most jobs, because everyone is watching and everyone is going to catch all of the referee's mistakes. The second the referee loses focus and zones out is the (only) time when something is going to happen and they're going to miss it. Once a call is missed, it's all downhill from there. There is a fine line between calling fouls and stopping the game every five seconds and letting the game play. Too many whistles and the game lacks continuity, too few whistles and the game gets rough and people start to get injured. Being fair and calling a fair game shouldn't be an issue. Overaggressive teams make for hard games to referee, because they'll always get the fouls called on them and never think it's a foul. So when every whistle goes against them, they start to complain that it's not fair. It's probably one of the most thankless jobs I've ever worked. ++

KEYWORD ANALYSIS

++ HERE ARE THE various words and phrases people have used in different search engines which led them to somehow find a link to this website.

	Number			Percentage			Search Term
	4			6.35%			jessicalee67
	4			6.35%			coors light, i love football on tv
	4			6.35%			designsnob.com
	3			4.76%			kiera kippins
	3			4.76%			jay c blackburn
	3			4.76%			grete bigert
	2			3.17%			heide archietcture
	2			3.17%			chronic lymphocytic leukemia
	2			3.17%			designsnob
	1			1.59%			adam purath
	1			1.59%			why does skyline chili smell funny?
	1			1.59%			geo chaching
	1			1.59%			jay mitchell-lighthouse
	1			1.59%			i love burritos at 4am
	1			1.59%			the veils the leavers dance
	1			1.59%			beauty in its various forms appeals to you - meaning
	1			1.59%			bigert, grete
	1			1.59%			alyson ianitti
	1			1.59%			soccer phenom
	1			1.59%			hoa items stored on balconies
	1			1.59%			bouldering in greenwich, ct
	1			1.59%			traveling by plane(pros cons)
	1			1.59%			passionate people
	1			1.59%			disposable heroes of hiphocrisy song
	1			1.59%			windmill tokyo moon
	1			1.59%			bubble tea in greenwich, ct
	1			1.59%			apx house cincinnati
	1			1.59%			rappel without a harness
	1			1.59%			recent proverbs
	1			1.59%			cincinnati homecoming bearcat run 2006 results 5k
	1			1.59%			toilet seat up weird laws
	1			1.59%			jaycblackburn
	1			1.59%			blast o' butter light points
	1			1.59%			jon kippins
	1			1.59%			letter from the dog
	1			1.59%			kayak side floating barge
	1			1.59%			i love burritos at four am parties that never end dogs that love c
	1			1.59%			3000 word paperhow longto write
	1			1.59%			maps to the sky we can create
	1			1.59%			i love pizza at 4am dogs that love cats, and twins
	1			1.59%			jay blackburn seattle
	1			1.59%			heathrow loudspeaker joke
	1			1.59%			budget trucks, duct tape, hernia
	1			1.59%			copper wire theft puts you in jail
	1			1.59%			jason emily aj

++

TWO JOB PERSON

++ I OFFICIALLY HAVE two jobs now. Well, the second job isn't so much a job as it is fun and really, it doesn't pay anything, minimum wage maybe? Can't be much more than that I don't think. I'm reffing Indoor Soccer down at Arena Sports for three to four hours a night, one night a week. I should make about enough money to pay for playing there, which is actually just dandy. I had to fill out a W-9 and take a test and everything and they told me when I file my taxes I have to take out my own taxes on the money I make there as I'm officially an independent contractor for them.

My first night of reffing was this past Tuesday. I've reffed before, but that was 15 years ago and it was outdoor and I was a linesman and I was reffing 7 and 8 year olds. A totally different beast. The first game I just shadowed and sat behind the scoreboard and basically learned to use the scoreboard. The second and third games I worked half of the field with another ref and the fourth game I worked the whole game on my own. No one got hurt. No one got in a fight. I consider it a good first game reffing indoor.

Wow, what a lame post. ++

CURLING SEASON

++ THAT'S RIGHT, CURLING season is back in session, with the addition of a second league (Men's Thursday Night Skip's Choice League) to the ever popular Friday Night Social League. Men's Thursday Night Skip's Choice is quite a bit more competitive than the FNL and full of dudes. (What did you expect, it's a Men's League.) Thursday's team is a reprise of last year's team, The Prodigal Son, Jeff, Mark, and myself. Friday has been altered slightly to accomodate the UC'ers. Mark, myself, The Rog, and Megan for the first half of the season with Zac substituting for the second half of the season. The old usuals are back for Friday night including Cisqo, Wick, Number One, Number Two, the arguing kids, the kilt guy, Caveman, Betty, and Jakie, however an absence can be felt with Sev, Shane, and Wandasiewicz. Good curling! ++

LINKED IN A FRIEND'S BLOG

++ LOOK AT ME! Look at me! I've been linked in Jeanne's blog. I've also added her to my sidebar under links. Jeanne's blog, Life in Cleveland. Jeanne and I lived on the same floor Freshman year of college and graduated together twice. She is now married to Matt Stevenson, who also lived on the same floor Freshman year of college and graduated with us, twice. They now live in Cleveland. ++

USE OF BALCONY FOR STORAGE

++ Re: Written warning—Use of Balcony for Storage

October, 2007
Dear Resident,

It has been observed that various items are being stored on your balcony. I regret to inform you that this is considered a violation of the rules and Regulations.

Section 5 Common Areas

I.(1) The balconies are decks of units are limited common areas that affect the outside appearance of the building, and thus the value of the building and it’s units.

(6) Balconies and decks shall not be used for storage of things not reasonably intended or expected for balcony use. Upon written notice, any items deemed by the Board in violation of this rules shall be removed within seven days.

You have until October 15^th to remove these items from your deck. Any further evidence of items left on your deck after this date will result in a $100 fine. If you need more information regarding this issue please contact me. If you feel this information is not accurate, please address your concerns in writing and either give them to myself or our property manager and they will be passed on to the Board.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Resident Manager

.
.
.
Fantastic. So, the item which probably set it off was the big light grey, non-offending coffin-box storage box for the rooftop of my car which when stood straight up on end, is ten feet tall and gray. To be fair, there were a few bags, but not a huge pile. Regardless, the rooftop storage box was tucked back in a corner of the deck where only the two people who park at the very end of the dead end lot can see it. Well, those two people and the people who live in the condominium across the way. No one can see it from the street. One of those two people who park at the very end of that dead end lot is on the Board of Directors. Fine. I'll move it. So, I moved it into my unit, directly in front of the glass wall, about two feet away from where it stood and still in full plain view of the two people who park at the very end of that dead end lot. I hope their happy.

It's a tennis match now. Your serve Board of Director(s). ++

WHICH WAY?

++ WHICH WAY should he go? To the right is a path. To the left is another path. Maybe he'll just sit there for a little bit and see which one shakes itself out to be the 'right' path. Patience my friend. Rome wasn't built in a day. But then again the empire was pretty much dismantled quite quickly. Be sure you're there waiting for a reason. Try not to linger there for too long. The day is coming to an end and the light is fading. Tomorrow is another day but it may bring about a different light. Save tonight, but look to the future. ++

CONDO PROJECT #1

++ I MADE MY first condo improvement purchase. I bought paint stripper to take off the brown paint off of the mahogony treads. Turns out there is a layer of brown and a layer of bright baby blue which I can only assume is a layer of primer. The paint stripper is pretty toxic, so the work is being done outside on the deck. Not a hard process. Pour it on. Spread it out. Wait 30 seconds. Scrape. Repeat. However it doesn't take it off completely and it's hard to do toward the edges and on the bullnosed front edge and on any small edge. I haven't got to the end grain yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be even harder. It seems it would almost be easier to just fashion up some new treads out of some new wood.++

ONE STEP FORWARD...

++ ONE STEP BACK. Little shaky, but I suppose it's even keel. Try not to lean too far one way or another. That water can be icy cold or it could be quite warm. Maybe you'll never know unless you jump in. Or maybe it's best to stay dry.++

ADAM AND GRETE'S WEDDING DAY

++ TO THE AIRPORT. Yeah, I’m 3 hours early.
Side trip with Jeff to Wendy’s for a last supper.
The obligatory Peach Rings. I don’t even really want them.
3 hours of catch up sleep.
Rain? In Orange County? Really Orange County? Really?
Hertz Mazda 3.
Gulfstream as Ryan, Megan, Doug, Laurie, and Adam are leaving.
Ok then, 7 steps back to the car and follow Adam to the hotel.
Rain. Not just rain, but downpour rain. As in they gave us another room so we wouldn’t have to go out in the rain, rain.
Hotel bar. Key Lime Martinis and Gin and Tonics.
Ordered room service for the first time ever. Tasty 2:00am room service pizza.
Moving two cars from the Valet Parking Lot to the Self-Park Parking Lot.
How the .. do you start Adam’s fancy fancy car. Oh, you have to press down on the brake? Ok, I’m clearly not fancy enough to drive this thing.
Stop by the front desk on the way back in. Pay for half of the room. Shh. Finger to the lips.
In bed. Wake up at 4:30. Turn off the television.
It’s really 10am already? “You can change the station. I couldn’t find a football game I cared about.”
Still looks cloudy outside.
Check out. “Wow, that’s a lot cheaper than I thought it’d be. About half. Weird.” “Yeah Adam. Weird.” (Shh. Hehe.)
Back to his place to pick up the suit he forgot. (Texting Grete to make sure she’s out of the apartment.)
French Dip with au jus which needs more salt at Oceans 33.
Pick up Ryan and Megan at their hotel.
It’s the Purath family. They all still look the same. .. with the addition of Andy and Kelly’s two kids.
To the Surf and Sand Resort.
Ooo. Valet parking. Down the line, Lamborghini, Lotus, H2, Lexus, the ‘cheap car’ BMW, …and my Mazda 3. How out of place am I?
9^th floor Top of the Surf with an amazing ocean view. My it’s loud. Are those earplugs on the night stand?
Back to the car to move the beer from the trunk to the room for the ‘Bigert/Purath After Party.’
Jason shows up in the two seater Inifiniti. Move the $5000 speakers to the reception room. One of them is DOA. Ha.
3:30 and Adam is still in shorts and a T-shirt trying to get the speaker to work. Wedding starts at 4:00…
To the room. 3:40. Adam starts to get dressed.
3:50 we’re supposed to be downstairs. Adam is almost done getting dressed. They can’t start without him, right?
“Is it hot in here or is it just me? I feel like I could puke from my toes down.” Silence. Laughter. “It’s Go-time Adam.”
To the beach. An aisle made from flower petals. 20 feet from the ocean. Ryan’s acoustical guitar Canon in D.
Sunny. The sound of the ocean.
30 bare feet friends and family gather around closer. ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ drowned out by the crashing waves.
Adam handsome in his linen suit. Grete beautiful in her wedding dress. The minister in her white robe. The ocean in the background.
Everyone takes four steps closer to the hotel as high tide makes it’s debut.
“I do.”
“I do.”
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Photos. With the Bride and Groom. With the Bride and Groom and the baby. With the family. With the other family. With both families. With friends. With Everyone.
Back upstairs to change from sandals to actual shoes.
To the reception. Appetizers and more gin and tonics. Less Key Lime Martinis. Phase 1 music
The dinner table. A UCLA Professor. A computer programmer for a condom manufacturer/distributor to the UN. A theatrical makeup artist. A carpenter for the (Lincoln’s) Ford Theater. An airline pilot. An industrial engineer for Elmer’s Glue. The token architect. A regional manager for a Top 100 company. A fireman. How cool is that table? (Phase 2 music.)
Dinner talk over anti-pasta, seafood ravioli, and beef tenderloin. Did you know there are 95 different sizes of condoms? I didn’t either. Nor do I care.
Shots of Patrón. More gin and tonics.
Enter phase 3 music. Wait, it sounds just like phase 1 and 2.
Cigars and Patrón margaritinas. Yeah, that’s spelled right. It’s a shaken margarita by John the bartender.
10:30 PM. Bigert Purath/Purath After Party in room 298. Rose petals on the floor and bed with sultry music. Good thing all their friends are here.
Ryan and Drew are talking about babies and marriage. I think I’m in the wrong conversation. Wait, they are the only people here I know. Guess I’ll stay and contribute nothing to the conversation. Water. Water. Water. Water.
1:00 AM. Yeah, it’s time to leave. Wait for the valet guy. Wait some more. 15 minute drive to my hotel.
2:00 AM check in. 2:03 AM bedtime.
Lunch and margaritas at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach with Ryan, Megan, Jason, Adam, and Grete..
Need to feed the meter more money. Congratulations. See you hopefully sooner than later.
Walk the shops at Laguna Beach for 5 hours. Looking for a present. Feed the meter again. Postcards.
Oh, I forgot to give Adam and Grete their wedding card. Guess I’ll have to mail it when I get back home.
To the airport. I vaguely know my way around Orange County now. Map? I don’t need no stinkin’ map. Wait, yes I do.
Check-in. “Is this flight full?” “Yes.” “Ok, thanks.” McDonalds and sitting and waiting. Reading the news on my phone.
“Alaska flight 497 to Seattle leaving at 8:20 has been changed from gate 10 to gate 8.” Shuffle shuffle shuffle.
8:17 PM. Board plane. Window seat 27a. 8:20 PM. Zzzz. Zzzzzz.
Seattle! “Jeff, we landed.” “Ok, I’ll head out now and meet you outside in a bit.” “Thank you.”
Home sweet home. Yes, it feels like home now.
Unexpected house-warming present from Jeff and Betsy on the couch. It’s perfect.
What a beautiful wedding. What a perfect weekend.
Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.
Congratulations Adam and Grete! ++

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

++ OFF TO GRETE'S and Adam's (and Rainn's) wedding in the OC for the weekend! Sunny sunny CA.
Wait, the weather this weekend is to be just as cold there as it is in Seattle. ++

BEARCATS

++ YES, BEARCATS ARE more than just the University of Cincinnati's Mascot, they're also real animals. Yes, I'm talking to you. ++

MUSIC ON MY MIND

++ A LIST OF recent songs which makes me click the mouse button just a little faster:
Artist - Song - Album

Bews - Uniroyal - Cassidy
Blue Scholars - Bayani - Bayani
Blue Scholars - 50K Deep - Bayani
Cloudcult - Chain Reaction - The Meaning of 8
Cloudcult - Take Your Medicine - The Meaning of 8
Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey
Feist - My Moon My Man - The Remainder
Gotye - A Distinctive Sound
Gus Gus - Polyesterday - Polydistortion
Iron and Wine - Boy with a Coin - Boy with a Coin
Jamie T - So Lonely was the Ballad - Panic Prevention
Jamie T - Sheila - Panic Prevention
Jason Isbel - In Arazor Town - Sirens of the Ditch
Kings of Leon - Knocked Up - Because of the Times
Maps - To the Sky - We can Create
Modest Mouse - Missed the Boat - We were Dead before the Ship even Sank
Pantha Du Prince - Moonstruck - The Bliss
Peter Bjorn and John - The Chills - Writer’s Block
Plan B - Latchkey Kig - (V/A) Butter
Shout Out Louds - Tonight I have to leave it - Our Ill Wills
Shout Out Louds - Very Loud - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Tegan & Sara - The Con - The Con
The Album Leaf - Always for You - Into the Blue Again
The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home - Ma Fleur
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphocrisy - Television The Drug of the Nation - Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxery
The National - Fake Empire - Boxer
The National - Green Gloves - Boxer
The National - Start a War - Boxer
The Sun - We Tried - Blame it on the Youth
The Veils - The Leavers Dance - The Runaway Found
Tranquility Bass - They Come in Peace - (V/A) This Aint Trip Hop?
Tricky - Black Steel - Maxinquaye
Walker Kong - We are the Falling Stars - Deliver us from People
Wax Tailor - The Tune - Hope & Sorrow
Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs - We Have Come to be Uneasy
Windmill - Tokyo Moon - Puddle City Racing Lights

I'M ANGRY TODAY

++ AND I DON'T know why. (Well, actually I probably do.)++

LAST CALL AT ALLEY 24

++ I MOVED THE last of my stuff out of the old apartment last night. With Zac and his friend Tommy there, it went quite smoothly and quickly.
Sweep the upstairs carpet.
Clean the upstairs bathroom.
Clean the oven.
Dust everything.
Sweep the downstairs floor.
Pile load number one into the car. Drive to the new place. Unpile load number one into the new place. Rinse and repeat three more times. And then on load number four, with one more load to go, at 2AM, parked in the 30 minute loading tow zone, I opened the trunk, turned the key, pulled the key and it broke...in half.
Spare key you say? Yup, I wish I had one.
Call AAA.
A visit from the locksmith.
3AM.
Yay! (Maybe not as enthusiastic as I might read that, because it’s 3AM.)
Go get load number five.
Drop off load number five and Zac and Tommy.
Go to friends’ house to help them clean and paint.
4AM
Prime the red wall, white.
5AM
Wipe down the walls.
6AM
Paint the wall white.
Dawn is breaking. (What a funny saying. I’m thinking birds chirping, yellow dishsoap, eggs being cracked open on a skillet, the smell of bacon. Pigs. A farm. Corn. An annual festival in my childhood hometown at the park just around the corner. Bikes. An old childhood friend. Fire in origami balls. Ping Pong. An endless tournament of three people. Brian Saunders. Two hand touch football. A stolen bike retrieved…)
(Where am I again?)
Goodnight all, er, Good Morning all.
Back to my new place.
Don’t wake the boys.
Upstairs to bed. Jeans still on.
“Hey, you going to work?”
“Yeah. What time is it?”
“7:50.”
“Yeah.”
“OK”
“Yeah.”
++

HALF-SIZED WATER HEATER

++ I CANNOT FILL the bath tub up full with hot water. It turns luke cold about one third of the way and ice cold by two thirds of the way. ++

SKYLINE CHILI

++ I MUST MAKE a better effort at remembering to not wear anything white on the days I bring Skyline Chili for lunch. Grr. ++

HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION MEETING

++ I WENT TO my first Home Owners Association meeting. It's quite weird. Introductions go something like this: "Hi, I'm Laurie, #309." "Hi, Mike, #109, one floor below and to the right." "Hi there, #209, Lisa." "Hi, I'm Jay, #213, just moved in a week and a half ago."

Six random observations from the two hour eighteen minute meeting of a one side single sheet agenda.

1. We have all been reduced to a first name and a three digit number.
2. Everyone has issues about noise.
3. My building is full of architects. Of the nine people that were at the meeting, three on the Board of Directors, there were four architects there. One worked for Mithun, one worked for NBBJ, one for some other office, and me.
4. Everyone has issues about other units smoking wafting into their open windows.
5. No one in the building has a backyard, but they somehow still have a NIMBY syndrome.
6. Every building has at least one of each stereotypical tenant. It's fantastic. ++
   

FRANCIS AND WENDY

++ HAVE BEEN IN town since last Wednesday and sleeping downstairs on an air mattress. It's been actually quite nice to have visitors in town that don't need to be babysat. I gave them a key and told them to make themselves at home. I need to go to work, but we'll meet up afterwards for a bite to eat and a drink and maybe a little bit of video games. It's too bad they're leaving tomorrow morning. ++

*PSST.* PART FOUR

++ I SLEPT AT the new place for the first time last night. I must have been either fantastically tired or fantastically comfortable there.

Tired theories:

1. I played a soccer game last night.
2. It was 12:42 AM by the time I turned off all of the lights and hopped in bed.
3. I just finished playing 5 games of soccer in four days.
4. The whole process has been fun, seemless, but tiring.

Comfortable theories:

1. First time in two years since I've slept with open windows. Fresh air is great.
2. No one was downstairs sleeping on the couch.
3. It was a bit cool because of the open windows which always makes me sleep well.
4. It's my place! I'm still giddy! ++

*PSST.* PART THREE

++ I PICKED UP the keys today! It's a little dirty from the furniture staging people moving their stuff out of the condo and not cleaning up after themselves. Nothing a once over with the vacuum can't solve though. I technically can't move anything in until I set up a moving date with the resident manager, but I can get a few things in just so I can stay there tonight. Hopefully it's not a hassle. The condo has more rules than any of the apartments I've ever lived in. It must be because everyone has a stake in the common areas and want to make sure they aren't responsible for paying for anything they shouldn't have to pay for. The 'House Rules' are possible a bit 40 pages too overwhelming. ++

*PSST.* PART TWO

++ I JUST SIGNED the closing documents and wired a ridiculous amount of money to the escrow company's bank.

Giddy? yeah.
Anxious? a little.
Heartburn? like no other. ++

*PSST.* PART ONE

++ (I THINK I just bought a condo.) I'm going giddy!++

ALL NATION'S CUP

++ ALL NATION'S CUP
I'm playing for the Iranian team. Here's the nitty gritty:

Full tournament schedule here.
07/14 - 12:30 PM - Field 3 - Iran vs. El Salvador
07/14 - 8:00 PM - Field 4 - Iran vs. Brasil (Quarterfinal Team last year)
07/15 - 4:00 PM - Stadium - Iran vs. Vietnam

Championship Game : 07/29 - 5:30 PM - Memorial Stadium (Seattle Center)
Games are at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. Tickets are $5/day.

There is also a bunch of other world festivities going on besides soccer throughout the two week tournament. ++

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

++ ARE WITH YOU. I've had to to do research on leukemia as I know nothing about it. Some facts I've found:

• There doesn't seem to be a complete and whole cure for Leukemia.
  
• There are four types of leukemia. I think (hope) he has the 'mildest' case (is there such a thing) which is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). CLL is a type of cancer where the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes, which is a type of white blood cell. Basically, as the unhealthy white blood cells divide, they make less room for healthy white and red blood cells as well as platelets, which results in the body's inability or decreased ability to fight infection. This also can bring on anemia and easy bleeding.
  
• Life expectancy is 3-20 years, depending on how far it has progressed.
• There are five stages of progression. The doctors think it's only in it's first stage, which I suppose is the best as far as options and treatments.
  
• At least five different kinds of treatment are options: 1. Watch and wait. 2. Radiation. 3. Chemotherapy. 4. Surgery. 5. Monoclonal antibody therapy. For some reason I always thought chemotherapy involved being exposed to some sort x-ray or radiation, but turns out that's Radiation Therapy. Chemotherapy, as it turns out, involves drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing the cells or stopping the cells from dividing. There seem to be clinical trials of alternative treatments out in the field, but they are clinical in nature, so there is no assurance the treatment will have any affect, let alone a positive affect as each person is likely to react differently. They've sent away for pills, so I guess the treatments they are using are a combination of watch and wait and chemotherapy.

How does one tell someone else that they may have a disease which could be fatal?
How would I respond to someone telling me I had an 'incurable' disease?
What a sad thought. ++

PS AND THE OC

++ FIRST TIME STAYING in a hotel by myself. There are so many stations with cable TV!
103 degrees at 11 AM.
"Copper wire theft puts you in jail!"
"I'm paying." "FU." "TFB."
El Pollo Loco fastfood.
MJ followed by Devo over the speakers in Denny's.
First sit-down meal in a restaurant by myself.
Guy driving golf cart down the sidewalk.
Rocky Theme Song as a ringtone for the 65 year old guy.
"I can't wait for all of this to be over."
"Is that a name?"
Overbearing wedding co-ordinator who likes to make fun of the wedding party.
9.14 PM and it's 99 degrees outside right now.
"Hi Jay. It's Roger Thomas, Jay..."
"Are you nervous?"
"Congratulations Cheryl and Todd. I mean Mark! Cheryl and Mark!"
"I'm mad at you for breaking girls' hearts."
"You're one button and one clasp away from a good night."
"Is he alright to drive home?" "Probably not, but I've seen him worse and still drive home?"
"No, Top Pot Doughnuts ships them every morning fresh from LA."
"So BW3 is about 40 minutes out of the way each way." "Perfect, let's go."
"Wow! Rainn is so small!"
Crowded Laguna Beach.
Cranky baby.
Grete with a fever of 101 degrees.
Agora Churrascaria. Tasty skewered meat.
Old photos and childhood stories.
Oh the cot.
A walk around the lake at the park with Grete and Rainn.
Laguna Niguel Bakery and Cafe. California Panini.
Rainn likes riding in the car.
A refreshing afternoon nap.
"(Are you) John Wayne Airport?"
"Any more seats left on this flight?"
First time (and second time) flying in Economy Plus. Extra leg room. How spacious!
Delayed flight at SFO. Does anyone else sit and people watch while waiting for their flight?
The classic Boudin's Bakery clam chowder in a bread bowl. How could I resist?
First game of Sudoku. It's much harder than I thought it would be.
Flight delayed even longer.
3 hours late, but all in one piece.
Shuttle bus. Car.
Home! ++

PALM DESERT MADNESS

++ HOLY SCHMOLY, THE next couple of days is going to be a far cry from the weather I've grown accustomed to.

Thursday - high 112 degrees . low 76
Friday - high 113 . low 79
Saturday - high 111 . low 73

Orange County is much better.

Sunday - high 79 . low 56
Monday - high 76 . low 56

I think I only own one pair of shorts, but I'm going to have to go digging for it. ++

FRIED CHICKEN

++ I COOKED FRIED chicken for the first time ever. It's actually kind of ridiculously not healthy at all. The chicken is basically breaded with spices and deep fried. I'm not sure why I thought it would be something different. It's so much easier (and cheaper) (and just as unhealthy) to just go to KFC even if you have to dodge the taunt's of the local animal rights protesters and their signs. ++

OLD FRIENDS AND FAMILY

++ MY WEEKEND WAS stellar. A little plane ride back to Ohio for a friend’s wedding and a whirlwind tour of old friends could cure the world’s problems. Seriously, no matter how down in the dumps you get or whatever zinger, life has waiting around the corner for you, a weekend full of laughter with old friends and family is quite a refreshing little slice of life. It gets me going. ++

TRAVELING BY PLANE - PROS AND CONS

++ SECRET INDULGENCES:
1. No driving.
2. Just sit there and be scooted around.
3. Catching up on sleep.
4. One side of the country to the other in a day.
5. One side of the world to the other in a day.
6. The view from the window seat.
7. No one knows who you are. Make up a story about yourself. Reinvent yourself.
8. Heck, you're travelling, I might as well get that Cinnabon at the airport.
9. I get to have laughs with family and old friends.
10. People-watching.

Nuissances:
1. The baby in the seat in front of you crying for the entire plane ride .
2. The guy behind you who hits the back of your seat every couple of minutes.
3. The guy to your right that smells funny.
4. Layovers.
5. Costs more than splitting the cost of gas with a friend.
6. Sitting on the tarmac for hours on ed before you take-off.
7. Missed connecting flight because you sat on the tarmac for hours on end.
8. Disappointment in the Chinese food in the airport, even though it looked and smelled great.
9. Time-changes.
10. Rude shuttle-bus drivers. ++

LEAVING WORK EARLY

++ IF I LEFT work for my apartment right now, would anyone notice? Would anyone care? Once I got there, who would I call? What would I do?

It's a big world out there. I'm having trouble finding my voice. Slowly I retreat into the depths of of the echoes my mind conjures. Silence.

My eyes close for just a moment and I find myself lost in the rigors of life. ++

INSERT PESSIMISM HERE

++ THAT'S RIGHT. (insert pessimism here.) ++

THE DAY IS MINE!

++ IT'S MY DAY. ++

I'M TORN BETWEEN

++I'M TORN BETWEEN whether i should be wanting to grow up and buy a house and get all settled and and put money away for my future retirement and save money and 'grow up' or if i should be sticking with the "i'm still young and free" thing and do whatever i want and turn my head from the responsibilities of being an adult. some days i lean to the i'm 26, almost 27 and its time to think further ahead in terms of years and other days i can plan for no further than what i'm going to wear when i finally drag myself out from underneath the covers. i don't know what to do. and then to top it all off, i think of how ridiculously all of it is. i was listening to the news the other day and they were talking about moving the nuclear clock to '5 minutes til midnight' for the symbolic time we blow ourselves up. i heard china is blowing up satellites just for fun at 500+ miles above earth. it seems like the white house is playing this game of Risk, you know with the dice and the little men. i don't know. i just all of sudden feel so small and insignificant. i know i'm never going to be einstein or edison or franklin or anybody who will make a "significant" move to change the course of human history. so what's the point in anything i do? yeah, i know there is this whole idealized butterfly effect where one thing i do alters the events of others which alters the effects of others and so on and so forth, but if everyone is making all of these minute butterfly decisions, does it really matter if one butterfly doesn't flap their wings? i mean it's all changing anyway. what's one to the other? it's all the same anyway.

then again i digress, life's too short to think about stuff like this right? just go live your life and everything will be alright. enjoy it. live it. and whatever happens, happens, right? in the end none of it ever really matters in the whole realm of things, so just do whatever you do and don't worry about it. so what if i'm not edison or einstein or franklin. i wouldn't want to be them anyway. i'd have too much to think about...++

NEW BAT LOOK

++ NEW BAT LOOK, old bat content. Added link to ~ Citizen Plain ~, Just your average blog about your average girl. ++

TURN THE PAGE

++ TURN THE PAGE...it's almost midnight and sleep approaches. what just happenned? did that really happen? don't go. don't fall asleep. wait, what if i do? will it mean it didn't happen and that all will be the same tomorrow? i doubt it. it's real, right? that. that event. it happenned. it's double digits. my mind is weary. it's late. i don't want to go to sleep. but i don't know what to type. i sit staring at the keyboard. fingers on keys, but unable to to come up with words to say. receipts in front of me of purchases made from previous days. they mean nothing. their past events with recorded histories. the screen shows proof of things i've just typed. i don't look at the screen. only glancing to make sure i spell correctly. it's lonely here. the cliche deafening silence, except for the whirl of the computer. a constant. one of the few in my life right now. that is until the power goes out. death and taxes. i suppose those are the other two constants. a pause. speechless, but no one to talk to anyway, so it doesn't much matter. i'd be talking to the screen which only recites back to me what i've told it. nothing really. just the past. a recorded history. ++